If you're a frequent visitor to
Disneyland Park, you've probably walked by it a dozen times and
never given it a glance. Or maybe you've heard rumors among
Disney fans about a fabulous place hidden away somewhere in the
park, a glamorous club where celebrities hobnob and delicious
aromas fill the air.

Well, the rumors are true. Tucked away
in New Orleans Square behind a tasteful but inconspicuous door,
just next door to the Blue Bayou, is the entry to a little joint
called Club 33. The waiting list for membership can take years
and few are fortunate enough to open that door – but the
Disney Insider goes everywhere, and we even brought back a
perfectly decadent dessert recipe from Executive Chef Marcel St.
Pierre for you to recreate at home, for a little personal touch
of luxury. It awaits you at the end of the article.

What's the name of the large pirate ship at
Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean?

She's the "good" ship Wicked Wench.

Club 33 was first conceived of by Walt Disney
himself. He wanted a place where he could entertain personal friends
and VIPs and show off his beloved Disneyland. To that end, he imagined
a luxurious private club in the space above Pirates of the Caribbean
and the Blue Bayou restaurant, lavishly furnished and offering the
finest cuisine. He would maintain a private apartment next to the
club, connected to it via the kitchen.

Executive
Chef Marcel St. Pierre and
Manager Jeff Plumb welcome you to Club 33.

Walt and Lily scoured New Orleans antique stores
to find unique and lovely objects for his Club. He even had the
Imagineers copy an old-fashioned elevator that caught his fancy in a
Parisian hotel. "Walt and Lily wanted to buy the lift, but the
hotel wouldn't sell it. So they had an exact copy made," Club 33
manager Jeff Plumb tells us.

Sadly, Walt never lived to see this piece of
his dream become reality. Club 33 opened after Walt's death, but,
except for the private apartment (that space, above Pirates of the
Caribbean, is now the Disney Gallery), it's just what he envisaged.

The club's members (there are currently from
470 to 490 of them) enjoy gourmet cuisine like champagne risotto,
roast muscovy duck, and lamb osso bucco in two lovely dining rooms. A
staff of around 70 is on hand to cater to members and their guests.
"We know what our members like, we try to remember everyone's
preferences," Jeff tells us. "We have one member who visits
every year from Australia – he loves salmon and when he comes, we
make sure he gets his salmon – whether it's on the menu or
not!"

Click for larger
image.

The
old-fashioned lift is ready to whisk you upstairs.

From the moment you enter the lobby, you know
you're in a special place. You're surrounded by art, gleaming wood,
and lavish wall coverings, and that spectacular brass elevator.
Upstairs members and guests discover lovely flower arrangements,
concept art from attractions like the Haunted Mansion, and even an
antique harpsichord, decorated with murals by the Imagineers. Paul
McCartney visited recently, Jeff tells us, and sat down to the
harpsichord – which, sadly, needed tuning and refurbishing at the
time.

Members can enter Disneyland Park, and the club, 365 days a year, but
they are also privy to some truly spectacular monthly members-only
events – like viewing the Fantasmic! fireworks show in a reserved
seating area when it debuted, then tucking into a fireworks-themed
dinner, complete with a dazzling dessert featuring spun-sugar
pyrotechnics. Other events have included a night featuring the wines
of Fess Parker – the actor who played Davy Crockett still has a
special fondness for Disney, says Jeff. "He's a great friend of
ours!"

Both Marcel and Jeff began their Disney
careers at other restaurants at the resort – Marcel proved himself
at Disneyland Resort's lavish and lovely Granville’s restaurant
before joining the Club 33 staff, while Jeff is a veteran of several
of the Disney hotel restaurants.

Click for larger
image.

The
mural on this antique harpsichord was painted by Imagineers.

They agree that Club 33 is a dream job.
"We have so much latitude with the menu," says Marcel.
"I create the food and Jeff does the wine – we make a great
team!"

Club 33 membership is within the reach of
anyone who is willing to pay the annual dues, and wait … and wait
… and wait … for a coveted spot to open up. Members tend to stay
for the long haul – some as long as 38 years – so new openings are
few and far between! However, that patience and investment are richly
rewarded by a Disneyland experience truly unlike any other. If you'd
like to learn more, you can write and request an information packet
and application at:

1313 Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92802
Attention: Club 33

To get a taste of Club 33, try Chef Marcel's
magnificent dessert treat:

3. Melt chocolate and butter together in the metal bowl over lightly
simmering water (not boiling), stirring from time to time.

4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

5. When chocolate is warm enough to touch, stir in 8 egg yolks until
well combined (you'll know they're well combined when the mixture is
the same color throughout).

6. Sift in the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder, and stir with
wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

7. Whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl until it forms soft peaks,
then refrigerate. Beat the 4 egg whites and granulated sugar
together in another bowl till soft peaks form. (You can also use a
stand mixer for this step.)

8. Fold in the egg whites and then fold in the cold whipping cream.

9. Pour your chocolate into the terrine mold and fold over the plastic
wrap to cover the top.

10. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours (3 days is best).

11. When ready to serve, flip over terrine mold and the terrine should
fall out (you can tug on the plastic to wiggle it out, if necessary).
Remove the plastic and slice with a thin sharp knife that has been
sitting in hot water. Wipe the knife after each slice. Serve each
portion topped with White Godiva Vanilla Sauce.

Click for larger
image.

Among
the art at the Club are these original paintings from the
creation of the Haunted Mansion.